The present invention relates to a chair type air massager including a leg massage device.
As shown in FIG. 11, in a conventional chair type air massager, massage bags 4 to 8 are embedded in a seat 2 and a back rest 3 of a chair body 1. A leg massage device 9 is mounted to a front end of the seat 2 of the chair body 1 such that the leg massage device 9 can vertically rotate in a predetermined range. The leg massage device 9 includes a pair of leg accommodating grooves 10 which are capable of accommodating calves of a user sitting on the seat 2. In the leg massage device 9, a leg massage bag 11 is provided on each inner side surface of each of the pair of leg accommodating grooves 10.
A handle 12 for operating a rotating motion of the leg massage device 9 is provided at one side surface of the seat 2. By operating the handle 12, the leg massage device 9 is vertically rotated at the front end of the seat 2 between a vertical position in which the leg massage device 9 extends downwards so that the leg accommodating grooves 10 are vertically extended as shown in FIG. 11, and a horizontal position in which the leg massage device 9 is extended forwards from the front end of the seat 2 in a substantially horizontal direction so that the leg accommodating grooves 10 are extended in back and fourth directions.
The leg massage device 9 of such a conventional chair type air massager is disposed in the horizontal position when it is used.
If an operation device of the chair type air massager is operated, compressed air is supplied to or discharged from the massage bags 4 to 8 and 11 by an air supply/discharge device (not shown) provided in the seat 2. These massage bags 4 to 8 and 11 are repeatedly expanded and contracted, thereby massaging portions of the sitting user corresponding to the massage bags 4 to 8 and 11.
When the leg massage device 9 is not used, the leg massage device 9 is disposed in the vertical position shown in FIG. 11. By the above-described operation device, it is possible to select the massage bags 4 to 8 and 11 to and from which the compressed air is supplied and discharged, and to select the time interval during which the compressed air is supplied to and discharged from the selected massage bag or bags.
As described above, the leg massage device 9 includes three side walls at opposite sides of the pair of leg accommodating grooves 10 and between them. Therefore, when the leg massage device 9 is disposed in the vertical position for using only the massage bags 4 to 8 of the chair body 1 without using the leg massage device 9, the sitting user is forced to locate his or her calves along the pair of leg accommodating grooves 10 of the leg massaging device 9 in the vertical position. This is because, if the calves are not located in this manner, the calves of the sitting user abut against the three side walls of the leg massage device 9 which project forwards from an under region of the seat 2, so that the user feels unpleasant. Therefore, the sitting user who is forced to locate his or her calves as described above can not sufficiently relax when the leg massage device 9 is not used.
Further, the massage bag 11 in the leg massage device 9 rotatably mounted to the front end of the seat 2 can not be moved along a longitudinal direction of the leg accommodating groove 10 corresponding to the massage bag 11. Therefore, when the leg massage device 9 is used, only longitudinally intermediate portions of the calves of the sitting user are massaged, and it is difficult to massage ankle portions or thigh portions of the legs of the sitting user.
The present invention has been derived from the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chair type air massager in which a leg massage device can be disposed without hindering the calves of a sitting user and whose leg massaging device can be used without requiring of the user to sit on the chair body.